Meanwhile, in the center of Sea God Lake, inside a secret chamber on the lake island specifically used for Cultivation and healing.
The red-haired woman lying on the soft bed had her eyelashes tremble slightly before she slowly opened her eyes.
She was none other than Ma Xiaotao, who had lost control earlier.
As her consciousness gradually returned, she felt physically weak, but her memories were somewhat blurry and chaotic.
"Ugh..." She propped herself up to a sitting position and looked around at the familiar furnishings, her brows furrowed tightly. "I remember... the Evil Fire seemed to be uncontrollable again, and then... I lost control?"
"That is correct, Xiǎotáo. Your Evil Fire did indeed erupt and spiral out of control earlier." An aged and stern voice echoed in the silent secret chamber; it was clear he had been waiting here for a long time.
Ma Xiaotao looked toward the source of the voice and saw her teacher, Martial Soul Department Dean Yan Shaozhe, standing not far away with his brows deeply locked, looking at her with a complex gaze.
"Teacher..." Ma Xiaotao lowered her head, feeling somewhat uneasy.
Yan Shaozhe walked up close to her and said in a deep voice, "Xiǎotáo, you nearly caused an irreversible catastrophe this time. Fortunately, whether by sheer Opportunity or because that Furina of the Axis Cult truly possesses a Divine Ability, a stream of extremely pure and powerful water-attribute energy surged into your body. It not only temporarily extinguished your Evil Fire, but it also seems to have created some kind of strange counter-reaction with your Phoenix flames."
"Although this caused you some internal injuries, it can be considered a blessing in disguise; the restlessness of the Evil Fire has been temporarily suppressed."
He stared into Ma Xiaotao's eyes and asked, "Do you remember what happened after you rushed out of the lake?"
Ma Xiaotao tried hard to recall, but she only felt a blazing red in her mind, followed by surging waves and bone-chilling cold, and then endless darkness before waking up just now.
She shook her head blankly. "I don't remember... I only saw a sea of red, and then it seemed like a huge wave crashed over me... When I woke up again, I was here."
Hearing this, Yan Shaozhe's brows furrowed even tighter, and he sighed. "The Evil Fire in your body has accumulated to such a degree, why didn't you inform your teacher in time? Do you know how dangerous this was? Several new students from the Outer Court almost perished beneath your Evil Fire!"
Ma Xiaotao trembled all over, the color draining from her face, her eyes filled with shock and lingering fear. "I... I didn't know it would be this serious this time. I thought... I thought I could control it, but..." Her voice trailed off, filled with regret.
"This thing called Evil Fire, the longer it is suppressed, the more ferocious and violent it becomes when it rebounds." Yan Shaozhe's tone was heavy. "Xiǎotáo, things have reached this point, and you must make a choice. There are now three paths before you."
Ma Xiaotao lifted her head, her eyes stubborn. "Teacher, I do not want to stop Cultivating. Please tell me the other two paths."
Yan Shaozhe said slowly, "The first path is to slow down your Cultivation, or even stop increasing your Soul Power, with preserving your own safety as the priority. You are one of the most gifted Disciples our Shrek Academy has seen in hundreds of years, and the Academy cannot ruin your future for the sake of current combat power. If the Evil Fire completely devours your consciousness next time, your teacher will regret it for the rest of his life."
"No, Teacher, I must continue Cultivating!" Ma Xiaotao refused without hesitation, her eyes firm. "Please tell me the second and third options."
"The second option," Yan Shaozhe mused, "is a suggestion obtained from... a certain bystander. I will personally take you to the Extreme North Land. It is bitterly cold all year round, rich in ice-attribute natural energy, which naturally restrains flames, especially Phoenix flames like yours that are mixed with Evil Fire. Cultivating there, even if you lose control again, it will not be easy to harm the innocent because it is sparsely populated. At the same time, the extreme cold environment itself may help you better hone and control your own flames."
"The third option," Yan Shaozhe's gaze became deep, "is to seek the help of that Pope of the Axis Cult, Furina. I am almost certain that as the so-called Water God, she must possess a Second Martial Soul, and it is an Ultimate Water Martial Soul of extremely high quality. Otherwise, it would be impossible to so effectively suppress your Phoenix Evil Fire, which is close to Ultimate Fire. She is much younger than you, yet her Soul Power has already reached level 49, only one step away from being a Spirit King; her talent is truly terrifying."
Ma Xiaotao's eyes ignited with a glimmer of hope, and she immediately said, "Then I will go find her right now!" As she spoke, she made to get up.
"Wait!"
Yan Shaozhe raised his hand to stop her, his tone stern. "Do not act impulsively. The Axis Cult behind her has deep-rooted influence that cannot be underestimated; the Star Luo Empire royal family has publicly honored it as the state religion. We at Shrek Academy must also treat this with caution and should not rashly apply pressure or make demands. Xiǎotáo, you need to be patient for now and wait for the right Opportunity. Perhaps... this New Student Assessment will allow us to see some clues more clearly and create a more natural Opportunity for contact."
Upon hearing this, although Ma Xiaotao was anxious, she understood that her teacher had considered everything thoroughly. She could only forcefully suppress the urge to act immediately and sat back down, her face filled with unwillingness and grievance, and she replied in a low voice, "But... I am worried about the next outbreak..."
"Going to the Extreme North Land, you can still Cultivate." Yan Shaozhe comforted her. "There, you can freely release the heat and impulses brought by the Evil Fire without worrying about harming others. Just remember, do not actively go deep into dangerous areas, and do not wantonly hunt Soul Beasts, lest you provoke the powerful existences of the Extreme North Land and invite a siege."
"Mm... I understand, Teacher." Ma Xiaotao finally nodded and cast her gaze toward the sparkling lake surface outside the secret chamber window, a strong curiosity and a faint sliver of expectation rising in her heart for that mysterious girl named Furina.
Meanwhile, far away in the dormitory area, Furina was still unaware that she had been "marked" by the Genius senior from the Inner Court. She was enthusiastically planning how to open her "healing stall" tomorrow. However, even if she knew, she would not care.
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